Beluaterra/Fifth Invasion/letter to the riombaran court

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A letter to the court (1 day, 12 hours ago)

Honourable High Chancellor,

This evening, a boat was found at the northern coast of Ajitmon. The bodies of what appears to have been a family of six were inside - a couple with three children and an elderly woman. While the administration would not trouble your highness with such trivialities under normal circumstances, please let one of your scribes read through the enclosed diary, which was also found within the boat. If it is a truthful account, and we have no reason to doubt this, then this family died while escaping from the blighted lands north of our realm. By the style and vocabulary used, the undersigned believes they may have been from around Orombo.

Day 1 We have lost track of time since the sun has vanished behind this cursed cloud of evil. It has been many months, at the very least. Or has it been a year already? It still gets dark at night and grey at day, but we have no calendars in this village and when the evil rolled over us did not have the mind to start counting the days. So I will begin counting with the day I start this diary. I write this diary now because the darkness has shifted. I am sure the days are a bit lighter now. Most importantly, however, they are gone. The flying beasts of hell that have been tormenting us since the monster hordes invaded our land so long ago. These terrible creatures, wild beasts just larger and so many of them. We know the armies tried to fight them off, but were overwhelmed. When they came for us, they consumed everything in their path - livestock, wild animals, men, women and children. But they passed by soon enough, leaving those of us who could hide or were at sea behind to mourn and bury the dead. And then the darkness came. Like a vast cloud it covered everything. And it never went away. With it came all the smaller beasts. Insects, predator birds and beasts for which we had no names then. But the flying ones were the worst. The size of dogs but resembling ugly bats, they hunt at night in small packs. It is why we never leave our houses at night, no matter what the emergency. And now, with no warning or reason, they are gone. Maybe the gods have mercy on us, finally?

Day 3 There is movement in the forest. We haven’t been to the forest ever since these lands became the wild lands of the monsters, because all those who went into the forest did never return. But even from here we can see that there must be large numbers of monsters moving within the forest. We will avoid it even more, and stick to the sea. While the fish have become more aggressive and some are biting back when you catch them, they are largely less dangerous than the forest.

Day 6 The forest is quiet again. Could not catch a single fish today. Fortunately, we have two barrels of salted fish.

Day 7 There were several herds of beasts all running west, into the mountains, today. Not that one could see the mountains anymore, this evil cloud covers everything and view distance is down to a few miles on the best days, often less. No fish yesterday, and only very few today.

Day 9 Erin’s boat was attacked by a massive sea-serpent today. I have never seen anything like it before, as wide as a man and fifty feet long at least. We could save Erin and his boy, but the boat was lost. Maybe this beast has driven all the fish away?

Day 10 The darkness has definitely shifted. I feel it, I see it. Nobody knows what is going on. Mother is hysteric. She’s been oversensitive ever since father was slain but that direwolf creature last year, during the monster attack.

Day 12 I have no idea what that creature was, but it was unlike any of the other beasts. Twice as tall as a man, muscular, roughly human shape but with claws on its hands and feet, and skinny wings, like the webs of amphibians. But it was no mere beast, because half of its body was covered in what looked much like the armour of those knights that were smashed to pieces by the monsters so long ago. And it had a huge sword in each hand. It seemed to be on a lazy stroll, but we hid in the store room. Didn’t come out the whole day until we were sure it was away.

Day 15 Went out to sea again, hoping the serpent is gone. No sign of it, but no fish, either.

Day 16 More of these strange creatures went by today. Not quite the same, a bit smaller and no weapons, but larger claws.

Day 17 Still no fish, and no signs of any, either. This is bad. What else can we do? Erin has suggested hunting in the forest. He thinks the wild beasts are gone, fled from these other creatures. I’ve told him he is crazy, but then again we need to eat and the reserves won’t last forever.

Day 18 Erin and his boy have gone into the forest. Night is falling and they have not yet returned.

Day 19 Our neighbours have not returned. We must consider Erin and his boy dead. We’ve taken in his daughter. Now the six of us are all that is left of this village.

Day 23 Martha and I have decided to take the boat and sail south. It is risky, because the boat is not built for the high seas, but we will be starving within the week if we can’t find fish. We do not know how far the darkness covers the land, it does as far as we can see. So we must assume everywhere is like home, but maybe there is fish elsewhere. We take the kids and mother with us as we don’t think we will ever return. One way or the other.

Day 24 First day at sea. We are staying near the coast, because that is what the boat can handle. But we know that we will need to brave the high seas if we don’t find a good spot north of the islands. The kids are keeping the nets out all day, so if there is any fish we don’t miss it.

Day 27 We are going further out to sea now, hoping for fish. Our reserves will be gone in a few days, even though we are eating as little as we can afford without losing our strength. The darkness is getting thicker. I fear we have sailed in the wrong direction, but we cannot go back now, we would not make it.

Day 28 I believe the sky is looking brighter behind the darkest clouds we have seen ever since the darkness first rolled over us. Could it be true? Could this be the edge? Maybe there is untainted land just ahead of us! We are leaving the coast now and heading straight for what seems the brightest area. If memory serves correctly, we should be hitting the northernmost island in a day, two at most.

Day 29 Thick fog all around. Mother has trouble breathing, and we others feel it, too. I hope we push through soon.